Percent conversion and probe response versus light source irradiance: as pull strength increases, the AssureCure output also increases, showing that the adhesive has cured fully and reached the desired strength for the application.

naperlou - The manufacturer does mention a good correlation between their technique and FTIR. My consternation involved a fiber optic detection probe. I'm familiar with reflective FTIR techniques such as Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) and Diffuse Reflection (DRIFTs), but I've only seen them used with sample stages and compartments having very known and calibrated sample geometries and optics. My suggestion of Raman was that it is a sister vibrational technique that often employs fiber optic probes as part of the detection optics. I don't know if Henkel is keeping the information close to the vest to simplify the technology or to keep it proprietary. I would love to learn more about it. -Bill =]

As a kid, mr orthodontist used a "new" adhesive to adhere my braces to my teeth. It was a quick procedure that avoided the long time spent in the chair. It worked well and was quick. This is something that could really help manufacturing items that need quick adhesion.

A visit to Henkel's AssureCure(TM) website contains a tab for Adhesives. It displays an image of Henkel LOCTITE 3924AC, which I assume contains the AC suffix for use with the AssureCure system. Their technology overview does not give specifics but it appears that it is a reflective or emissive technology that utilizes LEDs or Diode Lasers for illumination and fiber optics for collection. The displayed response signal is broad like an IR spectrum but from the configuration it looks like it may be based on RAMAN scattering. Changes to the RAMAN features exhibited between the cured/uncured adhesive would probably not be very large. Henkel provides a technical paper in which they mention a "specially developed algorithm" that calculates a direct correlation to the adhesive's degree of cure. I am definitely interested in learning more about their technology.

If Henkel isn't providing an adhesive along with this new testing system, it seems you might have identified some good partnership opportunities, Rob. It would seem that the light cure technology and test system would need to part of the same package/installation. I would hate to be one of those manufacturers that invested in the light cure technology only to find later on that the lightening source didn't curate the bond and I was stuck with a sizeable inventory of defective parts. Even the threat of such a scenario would quash any interest in the bonding technology, I would think.

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It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

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